The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-03-09
v THE ONE-cROP SYSTEM.

corn, or anything else, is a mistake.
1t is a haphazafd business which
may succeed one time and fail five.
The planter of the n crop has to
contend not only against the ele-
ments, take his chances on the
seasons, but he has to contend against
spectators in the markets who make
and rule the prices without giving
him a voice in the making. If it be
a good crop year, the supply will
exceed the demand and prices will
u low, as a rule, unless some un-
looked for contingency arise and run
the prices up. In cotton, for instance:
ii there be a full crop in this coun-
try, and a short crop in other cotton
growing countries the demand may
ensure reasonable prices, provided
there be no other complications to
curtail the demand. For some time
past there have been rumors of hos
tile intent between rival powers in
Europe. France and Germany are
reported to be girding themselves
for a mighty struggle, while Russia
is saying nothing but getting herself
in readiness to take advantage Of
contingencies. 1t is said she has an
army of 100000 men distributed
along the Afganstian frontier ready
to contest the supremacy of England
in India when the tocsin of war is
sounded, and England may have
business to attend to nearer home.
If war should break out the coming
summer, or earlier, in Europe it
would lower the price of cotton,
while it would raise the price of
wheat and pork, SO that the cotton
planter would lose and the grain
grower would gain by it. Even
these rumors of war have given a
stimulus to speculation and for some
weeks back the price of breadstuffs
and pork has been playing see-saw,
up and down, several times a day.
Wheat is considerably higher, and
pork two dollars a hundred higher
to-day than it was this time last year,
due in part to a shortage in the sup
ply but in the main to these war
juniors.
The fact is there is too much cot
ton, too much tobacco, too much
wheat and too much corn raised by
the planters and farmers of this
country to make the raising proita-
BILE, unless there be some extraordi-
nary demand for them. The sup
ply exceeds the demand for home
consumption. But Notwithstanding
this the Southern planter goes along
with his cotton and tobacco planting,
and the Western farmer goes along
with his wheat, oats and corr plant
ing, the same old tread-mill business
every year, without any reasonable
assurance that the crop he labors
over is going to pay him for his la
Dor. But in this respect the grain
grower of the West has some ad-
vantage over the cotton and tobac-
co grower of the South, for as a rule
the grain grower does not have to
borrow money, to buy fertilizers,
and run in debt to raise his grain,
which so many Southern planters
have to do to raise their cotton and
tobacco. And then if prices be I'M
remunerative he has at least bread
and meat enough for his own wants
and feed enough for his stock. He
can live whether he make much
money or not, without being under
obligations to some one to furnish
him with the necessaries of life on
a big percentage secured by a
mortgage which grows heavier with
age till it becomes as heavy and as
crushing as the stones of the pyra-
mids.
1t should be the fixed resolve of
every Southern planter, whatever
his methods in the past may have
been, to raise at least grain and meat
enough for his own use, if not for
sale, and thus not be reduced to the
necessity of buying these things at
a high price, with cotton or tobacco
sold at a low price. IF war breaks
out in Europe, which it surely will
at no distant day, breadstuffs and
meat will 60 up while cotton and to-
bacco will 60 down, especially cot
ton, hurting the planter in two ways.
The thoughtful, senible, prudent
planter will guard against this and
put himself beyond the danger of
such contingency by raising those
necessaries of life which he must
have, can raise, and cannot afford
to buv. and shonld not hux, r. ho1